Now Comes the Night (37 page)

“That’s when he called me,” Damian said, taking up the tale. “And together we concocted a plan. We would raise you, care for you and, eventually, when you were grown, we would reintroduce you into our world. We spun a story to explain Conrad’s absence and then we took you and your sister, left town and went into hiding.”

“That must have been difficult for you both,” Marc said quietly. “Going away like that, leaving your home and everyone you knew.” Conrad gazed at him in surprise. Being separated from one’s family was a distinctly unpleasant sensation for most vampires. But he and Damian had never really spoken much about that, certainly not with the twins. He hadn’t realized Marc was so aware of that fact. It pained him to think how much it might have hurt Marc and Julie to have been left alone for so much of the past ten years.

“Oh, no,” Damian answered a little too quickly. “Not difficult at all. On the contrary, I have always considered it an honor to have had a hand in your raising.”

“Yes, but all the same, the boy is right. It was not without risk.” Conrad reached for Damian’s hand and laced their fingers together. “While it was important to us that you and your sister be spared the knowledge of that danger, we ourselves did not have that luxury.”

Damian nodded. “Well, that’s certainly true. However, if you’ve heard any of the stories, Marc, you’ll understand how special you are and why we could trust no one else with our secret. No one knows what you might yet become. Your potential is unlimited. And, as with any treasure, we feared someone would try and take advantage of that. We feared they might try and take you away from us, that they might try and find ways to control you for their own purposes.”

“Control us, or kill us?” Marc asked and Conrad couldn’t help but laugh at the dismayed expression on Damian’s face. However nicely he might try and sugar-coat it, the plain truth was the twins’ lives had always hung by a thread.

“Either one,” Conrad answered. “We were prepared for both possibilities, Marc, although we hoped for neither. At least now, perhaps, you can understand why you must stop this nonsense. As Damian said, it does you credit that you wish to protect your friends, but I’m afraid there’s too much at stake. Tell us quickly. Who it is that’s discovered your secret? Tell us so that we might deal with them. I promise we will treat them with as much restraint and forbearance as the situation will allow.”

“What?” Marc gazed at him in surprise. “No! You’ve got it all wrong. That’s not how it happened. No one knows but me. I just… I was talking to people and the subject came up. I’d never heard the term before, so I asked about it. It wasn’t hard to figure out the rest, but I swear I didn’t say anything. No one knows.”

“Perhaps, but we can’t take those kinds of chances,” Damian said. “Maybe someone ‘brought up’ the subject for no other reason than to see how you’d react?”

“No,” Marc repeated. “I’m telling you, that’s not what happened.”

“Tell me anyway,” Conrad insisted kindly. “Let me be the judge. I have more experience in these matters than you.” He leaned forward, harnessing his power. He despised the need for compulsion, but sometimes there was no other choice. “If it’s as innocent as you claim, then no one has anything to fear.”

“No way.” Marc scrambled out of his chair and backed away. “You can’t make me do that. I won’t.”

“Marc.” Conrad sighed. “Be reasonable.” Of course he could make him do it. He heightened his efforts, bringing more power to bear…

Marc shook his head. “Stop it. I’m not going to talk about it anymore. I came here to ask about the ferals. Are you gonna help me with that or not?”

Conrad frowned. “This again? I told you already, what you ask is impossible.”

“Frankly, I’m starting to get a little worried about this ongoing obsession of yours,” Damian said. “It’s too unusual an interest. People might take notice. Now that you understand the reasons for caution, you can take steps to blend in, stop acting so differently. It’s important that we do all we can to keep up appearances. I think, perhaps, it would be best if you were to let them go.”

“You mean let them die, don’t you?” Marc glared at him. “That’s what you’re really saying. You know what would happen to them if I just walked away. They’d be dead inside of a month.”

“Don’t exaggerate,” Conrad said. “You get that from your uncle, I fear. No one’s suggesting you walk away entirely. I gave you use of the warehouse. I’ve warned everyone that, as long as the ferals behave themselves, they’re to be left alone. I’ve given you my word. What have I ever done to make you doubt me like this? All Damian is suggesting, I believe, is that you limit your interaction to what others might perceive as ‘normal.’”

“That’s bullshit and we both know it. What everyone perceives as ‘normal’ is for me not to interact with them at all. How long do you think they’ll be able to ‘behave themselves’ if no one’s there every day to help them do it? I’m not blind. I understand why people want them dead. I’ve seen how crazy they can get on their own. Why do you think I came to you in the first place? Why do you think I wanted your help?”

“So you would choose to promote their safety over that of your sister?” Damian asked.

“Oh, don’t go dragging Julie into this,” Marc snapped angrily. “That’s not what I’m saying. Besides, she’s still got the two of you, doesn’t she? Not to mention the whole damn nest, to protect her. If we’re really in that much danger you should have told us both years ago. You had no right to keep this from us.”

“I had every right,” Conrad said. “As I’ve already told you. It’s about time you realize that! It falls to
me
to make whatever decisions need to be made for all of you, to me and to no one else. I did what I thought was best.”

“Yeah?” Marc’s face was grim as he met Conrad’s eyes. “Well, guess what? That’s exactly what I’m going to do now too. Fuck this limiting my interaction with the ferals crap. That’s not how it’s going down. As a matter of fact, I’m out of here. I’m moving into the warehouse full-time, if they’ll even have me after the way I failed them. That way everyone’ll be happy and you two can both relax. I won’t be here to endanger Julie. I won’t be around for anyone to notice how much like a freak I’m acting. You can put your heads together and spin whatever kind of story you want to explain it. I don’t care.”

“No!” Damian half-rose from his seat. His face was white, strained with worry. “Marc, you can’t do that. You need to stay here—where it’s safe. Have you learned nothing from losing your eye? I did not bring you here so you could place yourself in harm’s way. And I certainly didn’t risk my life all these years caring for you and your sister just so you could throw yours away.”

“
My
life, Damian,” Marc snapped. “Do you even hear yourself? It’s
my
life—just like you said. That makes it my choice.”

“Oh, do you think so? Well, let me tell you something,
chico
. That might work in the human world, but you have never been part of that world. In our world, things do not work that way. It’s past time you came to terms with your nature.”

“What nature is that? The one you’ve lied to me about my whole life?”

“Enough!” Conrad put a hand on Damian’s arm, urging him back in his seat. “Let it go,” he said quietly, as though either of them had any other choice. “Don’t fuss so much,
caro
. Perhaps Marc has a point. Maybe, for the time being, he would be better off somewhere else.”

Damian gasped in shock. “What are you saying?”

Conrad shrugged. “I’m saying… Sometimes little birds need to stretch their wings.” It was as foolish a statement as he’d ever uttered, but sometimes a lie was kinder and easier than the truth. Often, in fact. “It will be all right. You’ll see.”

The truth was generally far more complicated, far more dangerous, and not at all reassuring. All his attempts at compelling Marc, at forcing him back into line, had failed and Conrad did not know why. Perhaps he was still far weaker than he’d realized. Or maybe it was Marc who had changed, who had grown inexplicably stronger in the past few weeks. Stronger than anyone yet suspected. Too strong perhaps. Either way, it was not exactly good news, and his inner beast was not taking it well. It had begun to view Marc through a new lens, one previously reserved for enemies, other
Invitus
and threats to his well-being. Not good news at all. “I’m going to allow you to try this your own way, Marc—for now. But I’m warning you, you must take care. Watch out for yourself. Protect yourself. Now that you know what’s at stake, I expect you to use that knowledge wisely. I will not stand for your endangering yourself or your sister needlessly.” Although what he thought he could do to stop him was far from clear.

Marc nodded agreement. “I’d never do anything to hurt Julie. You know that. But don’t start pretending you’re doing me any favors—either of you. I’m the one who should be mad here, you know. I’m the one who’s been lied to after all.”

“Lied to!” Damian laughed scornfully. “
Ay, Dios mio
. Listen to the child!
Niño. ¡Háblame! Por favor.
When were you ever lied to?”

Conrad shook his head, holding tight to his temper. “A lie of omission now and then, perhaps, Marc, but only for your own good. And we were—and still are—well within our rights. So do not expect us to apologize. Just, go. Quickly now, before I change my mind. This conversation is trying my patience.”

Marc stood, his face uncertain. Perhaps he recognized the strain Conrad was under. Perhaps he wanted to do something about it. That, too, would not be good news.

Damian bit his lip and looked at Conrad. “
Querido
, won’t you reconsider? I fear you’re being a trifle hasty. Perhaps—”

“No.” Conrad silenced him with a sharp glance and a shake of his head. “I’ve made up my mind. This changes nothing,” he told Marc. “I assume you both understand that? If not, let me make it more clear. This is still your home, Marc, and we are still your family. But, for now…it might not be a bad thing for you to keep your distance from the nest.” It might, in fact, be the only thing that would save them both. “I will let it be thought that I’m displeased with you, although—” He held up his hand to forestall Damian’s inevitable dissent. “Yes, Damian,
obviously,
not so displeased that I would countenance any harm coming to him. That’s understood. Hopefully, this should serve to take some attention off of you, Marc, and allow you to go your own way unobserved.” It was the lesser of two evils, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t also a mistake. He could only hope for that. “Off with you now. If you delay very much longer, your uncle here will likely be reduced to tears at the thought of losing his little boy and then I will be forced to spend most of what’s left of the night in futile attempts at comforting him.”

Marc nodded, cast a last, reluctant look at Damian and left. As the door closed behind him, Damian turned to Conrad, eyebrows raised. It was an expression of extreme annoyance with which Conrad was well acquainted. Usually, he did what he could to avoid it. Right now he welcomed it. “Forced to comfort me? Is that how you think of it?”

Conrad smiled. His relief at being back on familiar ground was huge, even if the ground in question was more than a little rocky. And teasing Damian out of a bad mood was not without its rewards. “Come, my dear, you did not expect me to admit the truth—that it will more likely be the other way around—did you? I must think of my position, after all.”

“I could think of some positions for you.”

“I’m sure you can.” Laughing, Conrad pulled him close. “And I can’t wait to hear all about them.”

“Oh, you’re impossible,” Damian sighed, tipping his head back obligingly as Conrad’s lips sought his throat. “Conrad…I’ve a question. There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you about.”

“There’s a surprise,” Conrad replied wryly. “What is it this time?”

“You know I never understood why you became so upset when Marc attempted to starve himself, but now, after listening to you tonight… Was it because of his mother?”

Conrad straightened up with a sigh, his appetite gone. “I suppose, in a way, it cut too close to home. I couldn’t stand the idea of her sacrifice going for naught, of her son throwing away his life, throwing away everything she’d given him, after all she’d gone through.”

Damian nodded. “I understand.”

Conrad hesitated. “No, my dear,” he said at last. “I’m afraid you don’t. I know I’ve never told you very much about
Invitus
, about how we’re created, but a certain level of starvation is a critical part of the process. Repeated deprivation right at the start, while our new nature is still being formed and we’re at our most malleable, is crucial to our development. It’s that struggle for sustenance, the fight to survive, day after day, meal after meal, that makes us stronger, tougher, crueler. It hardens us and helps make us the monsters that we are.”

“And you were worried something like that would happen to Marc? But why? Surely there’s more involved? It can’t be so simple, to become…well, what you are.”

“There’s nothing simple about it at all!”

“Exactly. Then since it was so unlikely, so very nearly impossible, why would you worry?”

“Because the twins’ very existence is unlikely! If we’d been talking about anyone else, I would not have been the slightest bit concerned. But who’s to know what might happen with an
Infragilis
? Can you imagine the disaster that could result if the two somehow combined? I couldn’t take the risk.”

“No, that’s true.” Damian sighed. “You couldn’t, could you? I do wish you’d have told me some of this sooner. It would have helped so much.”